Poor Man's "Shrimp" Cocktail

By LRay

Recipes & Menus | recipes

Poor Man's "Shrimp" Cocktail
Chef Kevin Roberts transforms humble cauliflower into a dead ringer for shrimp cocktail with a brief poach in cleverly seasoned water and a dunk in cocktail sauce. "It's something my mom used to make for us," he explains. "As kids, we went to the lake a lot, and she would throw this down as a snack. It's also a great party option for vegetarians and people with shellfish allergies."

8 servings

Recipe by The Black Sheep in Richmond, VA

February 2012

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry crab boil seasoning (such as Zatarain's or Old Bay)
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 2 yellow onions, quartered
• 6 garlic cloves
• 3 lemons, halved crosswise
• 2 1-pound heads of cauliflower, cored, trimmed into 2" florets
• Cocktail sauce

Preparation

Step 1

Preparation

Combine crab boil, salt, onions, garlic, and 6 quarts water in a large pot. Squeeze juice from lemons into pot and add lemon halves. Set pot over high heat and bring liquid to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes to let flavors meld. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions, garlic, and lemons from broth; discard. Return liquid to a rolling boil.

Add cauliflower; turn off heat, cover pot tightly, and let stand until cauliflower is crisp-tender, 5–10 minutes. Drain; spread out cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Cauliflower can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Arrange room-temperature or chilled cauliflower on a platter with cocktail sauce for dipping.

Hungry for More? If you have a question about this recipe, contact our Test Kitchen at [e-mail]. To see more recipes like this one, check out our Recipes for Root Vegetables Slideshow.